This invention relates to a motor vehicle immobilising device which is adapted to disengage the motor vehicle engine from the drive train thereof either by disengagement of the clutch or by disengagement or locking of the gear box.
Simple locking devices for vehicle transmissions have been proposed. One such device comprises a plate which fits over the gear lever of a motor vehicle and which is locked in position, thereby preventing operation of the gear lever. In addition pedal locks have been proposed by means of which, for instance, the clutch pedal of the motor vehicle could be locked relatively to the vehicle body, thereby preventing depression of the clutch pedal.
A more sophisticated clutch lock is described in French patent No. 2,572,037--BARBAROT. This patent describes an anti-theft device which incorporates an encoder arrangement linked to an electromagnetically operable catch which, in turn, engages a multiple rocker arm capable of locking the clutch lever against movement indirectly by engagement of the clutch cable.
French patent No. 996,062--GUILLOU ET AL, U.S. Pat. No. 2,992,693--PEYTON and U.S. Pat. No. 3,610,004--GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION, all describe drive shaft locking means.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,718,202--TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INC. describes a transmission locking system in which an encoding and decoding device is used to energise or de-energise a drive train locking mechanism. The locking mechanism of this patent is constituted by a gear dog which may be interposed between the gears in the transmission locking system of the motor vehicle, to lock the gears to one another when the vehicle transmission is in the "park" position.